going under
by tonberrys
Summary: Two years after the war's end, Team Avatar takes a camping retreat. When Zuko and Katara are given instructions to find the nearest hot spring, they take their duties very seriously. (AU)


Written for Zutara Week 2017, Day 2: Underwater

AU Notes: Kataang didn't get together at the end of the show, Maiko broke up, Zutara became a thing. Normally I would want this to be in the context of a story that has built up to the relationship, but that will have to wait for another day. This is getting a delayed posting because I posted over on AO3 and completely forgot to crosspost here.

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Grass tickled Katara's toes as she slipped out of her shoes, cool and slightly damp from a recent rain. With a smooth shift in her weight, she kicked each shoe over to a large stone set a pace away with a pit and pat, breathing in the earthy musk and feeling each drop of moisture around.

Nearly two years had passed since they had last gone camping as a group - Team Avatar, braving the elements again - but the circumstances couldn't be farther from what they had been, back then. Dodging the Fire Nation, cutting through spirit trees, rationing food for a journey they couldn't wholly plan for, no matter how they had tried. Zuko had been their enemy, back then, a relentless if somewhat predictable flame blazing behind them, wherever they went.

A wry smile played at the edges of her lips.

The soft thump of two more shoes flung against the mossy stone drew her eyes, and her smile grew larger still. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw Zuko strolling up behind, dressed in his swim trunks and slipping off a Fire Nation red robe, draped loose and untied. A pleasant warmth rose in her cheeks, less embarrassed than it once was but no less thrilling. The others were back at the camp, ironing out Sokka's plan, but Katara and Zuko had set off to locate the nearby hot spring. Judging by the rising steam, they had succeeded in record time.

Fingers brushed the small of her back as Zuko approached the spring, dipping his foot in the water. Wriggling his toes beneath the surface, a few ripples rolled out. Leaning in, Katara reached a hand up to hook on his shoulder and looked up at him. "How does the water feel?"

"Pretty warm."

"Like you-warm or like me-warm?" she asked, eyebrow arching as her smile grew to a grin.

A playful spark lit up his amber eyes. "Might need a second opinion for that one." Taking her hands in his, he stepped back into the water, lowering to mid-chest and pulling at her hands with a gentle tug.

Fingers lacing loosely with his, Katara swept their hands outwards, splitting the water down the middle as she hopped down in front of him, slowly bringing their hands together again as the water followed in suit, heat sinking down into her bones as she adjusted to the water enveloping them again.

"It pretty warm," she conceded, snaking her arms up around his neck, "Though when we said we were scouting for this spring, I think the idea was for us to go back and tell them."

"Probably," he agreed, looping his arms around her waist. "But what if it wasn't really a hot spring? That would've been embarrassing."

"And the steam?"

"Could have been...fog?"

"Very contained fog."

"Maybe fog does that sometimes."

Katara shook her head with a roll of the eyes, but a smile shone in her eyes as she planted a kiss squarely on the lips, shivers creeping up her spine as his hand pressed to the small of her back, resting against the patch of skin just above the wrapped skirt that made up the bottom of her swimsuit. His mouth was warm, inviting, and as he pulled her flush against him, Katara tugged him downward, hands twisting slowly to bend the water around their heads.

As she allowed the spring to rush closed above them, Zuko owned his eyes to look upward with a flash of wonder in his eyes. "You...you are so smart."

"I know," she said with a playful smile, hands still bending a bubble around their heads as she pressed into another kiss.

Wandering hands competed for her focus, heat pooling inside her as the steaming water pooled around them-

And then she felt a heel digging between her shoulder blades, coinciding with a violent splash and a shrill, piercing scream.

With her concentration shot, hot water seemed to explode against their faces, rushing in noses and mouths. As Zuko and Katara both surfaced, they coughed up the spring water and hastily rubbed the heat from their eyes, opening them again to see Sokka's horrified face. Behind him, Suki was sitting at the edge of the spring, covering her mouth with one hand to mask her mirth.

"What are you doing?!" Katara screeched at her brother, a completely different kind of flush rising in her cheeks. "Go away!"

"What are we doing? What are YOU doing?! This doesn't look like scouting! It looks like- like canoodling!"

"We are too scouting! Look!" Zuko exclaimed back with a small cough, gesturing to the water around them. "We found the hot spring!"

"A likely story, Mr. Fire Lord!" Sokka's eyes narrowed and his arms crossed firmly across his chest, looking between his sister and friend. "What were you even doing down there?" he ask, flinging an arm forward with an accusatory point. (Behind him, Suki rolled her eyes with a smile.)

A warmer blush crept across Katara's cheeks as the ghost of creeping fingers grazed her mind again, and as she glanced at Zuko beside her, she found that he was looking at her two. If her suspicions were right, his flush was no more connection to the steam than hers.

Making a face, Sokka waved his hands in a brief frenzy before halting in a stopping gesture. "Never mind, I don't wanna know!"

A sudden wind whipped over them, followed by the soft snap of a glider closing. "What's going on?" Aang asked as he leaned his glider against a tree. "Hey, you guys already got in? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"These two were-"

Katara cut her brother off. "Testing the water. Sorry, Aang. Let's go get Toph - there's plenty of room."

Disappointment lingered on Aang's face along with the hints of something else - but as that disappointed melted off of his face, he shot them a bright smile and nodded. "Right, then! I'll go let her know!" With a whip of his glider, he was in the air again.

It wasn't quite guilt that settled in her stomach - she didn't regret her feelings, whether friendly or romantic - but as she exchanged a glance with Zuko, she wondered if it would ever stop feeling a little bit awkward. No longer did Aang mope about, and it seemed he'd finally stopped blaming Zuko for _her_ emotions… Because she loved them both, just in different ways. She needed that to be enough - and maybe, just maybe Aang's brightened smile meant they were well on the road.

Suki had joined them in the water now, sliding down beside Sokka, and soon her brother's childish face became wholly distracted by Suki's pretense. Katara rolled her eyes with a smile, leaning back into the crook of Zuko's chest and shoulder. The interruption had been irritating, but this wasn't so bad either.

Beneath the water, their fingers interlocked, and Katara closed her eyes with a happy sigh. This camping experience was certainly different, but she wouldn't want it any other way.


End file.
